Dragon's Dome owner looks to sell or close arena

Wednesday

Apr 29, 2009 at 12:01 AMApr 29, 2009 at 4:33 PM

The Dragon’s Dome, the inflatable sports arena in Pekin, is once again for sale, this time at a vastly reduced price. And if the property isn’t sold this time, its owner may shutter the facility or move the entire structure.

The 76,000-sqare-foot facility and the 33 acres where it sits have been listed for sale with Remax for $1.75 million. The property was on the market for a few months beginning in November 2007 with a list price of $4.5 million.

Matt Buedel

The Dragon's Dome, the inflatable sports arena in Pekin, is once again for sale, this time at a vastly reduced price. And if the property isn't sold, its owner may shutter the facility or move the entire structure.

"I think it's been a good asset for Pekin, but I just can't find the help to keep it going," said Bill Griffin, who owns the dome and some hotels in Pekin. "There's been some interest - what you'd call 'tire kickers,' but nothing drastic."

The 76,000-square-foot facility and the 33 acres where it sits have been listed for sale with Remax for $1.75 million. The property was on the market for a few months beginning in November 2007 with a list price of $4.5 million.

At that time, Griffin said he was looking for a not-for-profit group to buy the facility or sell it to the Pekin Park District or the city. No groups, however, came forward to purchase the property.

Now Griffin appears to have little desire to keep the dome open, no matter whether a buyer comes forward. He said without a sale, he would "move it or just shut it down."

The inflatable structure that houses indoor softball, baseball and soccer fields opened in January 2005 with a price tag of $7.5 million for the property and related facilities.

The city of Pekin paid about $500,000 at the time to upgrade infrastructure to the property.

The listing for the dome includes the inflatable structure with seating for 5,000 as well as four lighted baseball fields with dugouts, sprinkler systems, concession stands, an office and restrooms. A 7,000-square-foot banquet facility with seating for 220 people and parking for more than 500 vehicles also is included.

The Remax listing additionally indicates the site has liquor licenses for the dome and softball fields, though any new owner would have to apply for new liquor licenses, which are non-transferable.

Property taxes for the dome in 2007 cost $32,639, according to the listing.

"It's a good income for the city," Griffin said. "It's good for the restaurants and the hotels."

At least one other businessman who depends heavily on the dome's clients wants to see it stick around - so much so that he's trying to figure out how he can purchase the property and transform it into a sports and entertainment complex.

Steve Hymbaugh, owner of Towerline Speedway, came to the Pekin City Council on Tuesday night to solicit ideas about what Pekin residents would support at the location.

He said he's considering buying the dome and moving his go-kart and miniature golf operation to the site to consolidate it into a single sports and entertainment destination.